Plants subacaulescent or acau­lescent. Stems 0–10 cm. Leaves (1.5–)3–10(–15) cm; leaflets (5 or)7–15(or 17), blades usually elliptic, elliptic-oblanceolate, or rhombic-elliptic, rarely obovate, (2–)4–14(–20) mm, apex usually acute, rarely obtuse. Racemes (1 or)2–5(or 6)-flowered. Flowers 7.6–12(–13) mm wide; calyx cylindric, (12–)13–16(–19) mm, tube 9.2–12(–13.6) mm, lobes 2.2–6(–7) mm; corolla mostly white or cream, sometimes fading yellowish, keel mac­ulate, rarely banner and wing tips dull, pale bluish purple; banner 19–25(–27) mm; keel (15–)17–21.2 mm. Legumes obliquely ovoid or broadly lanceoloid-ellipsoid, not or very shallowly sulcate ventrally, 13–23(–27) × 5–9.5(–13) mm, densely shaggy-villous, hairs to (2–)2.5–4(–5) mm. Seeds (20–)22–34. 2n = 22.

Phenology: Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat: Dry hills and plains, sagebrush steppe and deserts, bunchgrass steppe, pinyon-juniper woodlands and ponderosa pine forests.
Elevation: 300–2900 m.

Distribution

• Generated Map
• Legacy Map

Alta., B.C., Sask., Calif., Colo., Idaho, Mont., Nev., N.Dak., Oreg., S.Dak., Utah, Wash., Wyo.

Discussion

Variety purshii is the most widely distributed variety of the species. It differs from var. tinctus only in the whitish to cream petals.

Astragalus incurvus (Rydberg) Abrams is an illegiti­mate later homonym of A. incurvus Desfontaines and pertains here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.